[ntp:questions] Single GPS/PPS time source gets marked as a falseticker

Michael Eder meder at whoi.edu
Tue Jul 12 16:26:33 UTC 2011


Below is the NTP.conf file.  

The system runs great but the status does not seem to like our sources.

     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset
jitter
============================================================================
==
xSHM(0)          .NMEA.           0 l   13   16  377    0.000   43.755
66.491
*SHM(1)          .PPS.            0 l    9   16  377    0.000    2.466
0.255
 IP-208-40-229-1 .STEP.          16 -    -  256    0    0.000    0.000
0.000
 64.73.32.135    .STEP.          16 -    -  256    0    0.000    0.000
0.000
 meander.cross-l .STEP.          16 -    -  512    0    0.000    0.000
0.000
 nist.netservice .STEP.          16 -    -  512    0    0.000    0.000
0.000

assID=0 status=09d4 leap_none, sync_telephone, 13 events,
event_peer/strat_chg,
version="ntpd 4.2.2p4 at 1.1585-o Sun Nov 22 17:01:18 UTC 2009 (1)",
processor="armv4tl", system="Linux/2.6.21-ts", leap=00, stratum=1,
precision=-14, rootdelay=0.000, rootdispersion=3.164, peer=6590,
refid=PPS, reftime=d1c6f2ab.4689f159  Tue, Jul 12 2011 16:19:55.275,
poll=7, clock=d1c6f2b4.5ede7151  Tue, Jul 12 2011 16:20:04.370, state=4,
offset=2.466, frequency=-119.343, jitter=0.255, noise=0.950,
stability=0.032, tai=0

synchronised to modem at stratum 1
   time correct to within 3 ms
   polling server every 128 s
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset
jitter
============================================================================
==
xSHM(0)          .NMEA.           0 l    -   16  377    0.000   47.508
22.302
xSHM(1)          .PPS.            0 l   11   16  377    0.000    2.466
0.255
 IP-208-40-229-1 .STEP.          16 -    -  256    0    0.000    0.000
0.000
 64.73.32.135    .STEP.          16 -    -  256    0    0.000    0.000
0.000
 meander.cross-l .STEP.          16 -    -  512    0    0.000    0.000
0.000
 nist.netservice .STEP.          16 -    -  512    0    0.000    0.000
0.000

assID=0 status=00e4 leap_none, sync_unspec, 14 events, event_peer/strat_chg,
version="ntpd 4.2.2p4 at 1.1585-o Sun Nov 22 17:01:18 UTC 2009 (1)",
processor="armv4tl", system="Linux/2.6.21-ts", leap=00, stratum=1,
precision=-14, rootdelay=0.000, rootdispersion=3.194, peer=0, refid=PPS,
reftime=d1c6f2ab.4689f159  Tue, Jul 12 2011 16:19:55.275, poll=7,
clock=d1c6f2b6.a96e3689  Tue, Jul 12 2011 16:20:06.661, state=4,
offset=2.466, frequency=-119.343, jitter=0.255, noise=0.950,
stability=0.032, tai=0

synchronised to unspecified at stratum 1
   time correct to within 3 ms
   polling server every 128 s
 


# /etc/ntp.conf, configuration for ntpd

driftfile /var/lib/ntp/ntp.drift
statsdir /var/log/ntpstats/

statistics loopstats peerstats clockstats
filegen loopstats file loopstats type day enable
filegen peerstats file peerstats type day enable
filegen clockstats file clockstats type day enable

#For testing GPS w/ shared-memory
server 127.127.28.0 minpoll 4
fudge 127.127.28.0 time1 0.680 refid NMEA
server 127.127.28.1 minpoll 4 prefer
fudge 127.127.28.1 refid PPS

# pool.ntp.org maps to more than 300 low-stratum NTP servers.
# Your server will pick a different set every time it starts up.
#  *** Please consider joining the pool! ***
#  *** <http://www.pool.ntp.org/join.html> ***
server 0.debian.pool.ntp.org iburst
server 1.debian.pool.ntp.org iburst
server 2.debian.pool.ntp.org iburst
server 3.debian.pool.ntp.org iburst

# By default, exchange time with everybody, but don't allow configuration.
# See /usr/share/doc/ntp-doc/html/accopt.html for details.
restrict -4 default kod notrap nomodify nopeer noquery
restrict -6 default kod notrap nomodify nopeer noquery

# Local users may interrogate the ntp server more closely.
restrict 127.0.0.1
restrict ::1


-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Eder [mailto:meder at whoi.edu] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 8:01 AM
To: 'questions at lists.ntp.org'
Subject: Single GPS/PPS time source gets marked as a falseticker

Hi Folks,

For our buoy deployments we have GPS and a highly accurate oscillator
conditioned by the GPS PPS.  Unfortunately when we let this run for longer
periods we see both the GPS and PPS being marked as false tickers.  There is
a lot of information on the web about this, but I have not found a
definitive solution.  What is the best way to configure NTP when you only
have a GPS NMEA string and pulse per second?   In our situation it is
feasible that the NMEA may not be always be available while the PPS is, we
are seeing a problem when both the NMEA and pulse seem to be working
properly.

I have also seen some discussion about issues regarding what needs to happen
when NTP first comes up in this scenario.  Is it a problem to have the PPS
always available even before the NMEA string can fully set the time?

I did try setting minclock and minsane, to two and one respectively, but
this did not seem to change the situation.

Any suggestions on how to configure for this situation and/or things I
should be aware of would be much appreciated.  

Thanks in advance,

Kind Regards,

Michael Eder

Added this to the cfg file
#Look for two clocks instead of three for falsetickers - tos minclock 2
minsane 1 but still get the following.

ce000:/etc# ntpq -p 127.0.0.1
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset
jitter
============================================================================
==
xSHM(0)          .NMEA.           0 l   12   16  377    0.000  -407.31
42.404
xSHM(1)          .PPS.            0 l    8   16  377    0.000  -256.43
2.003


Seems like one clock (pps) does better than pps and gps.

ce000:/etc# ntpq -p 127.0.0.1
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset
jitter
============================================================================
==
*SHM(1)          .PPS.            0 l   12   16  377    0.000   -6.243
0.238


Michael Eder
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
AOP&E/OOI
www.whoi.edu/programs/ooi






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